How to hire a photographer for the best surprise proposal

So you’re ready to pop the question? Congratulations! The proposal is a special moment, so of course you want to have pictures to remember it by. No pressure or anything.

So how do you hire a photographer without your (soon to be) fiancé finding out?

Step One: Use an incognito browser to search for local wedding photographers.

Incognito browsers are perfect for planning a surprise. Searches won’t get saved in your browsing history and you won’t get pesky engagement related ads that could spoil the secret.

Getting a local wedding photographer to capture your proposal is a perfect way to turn that memory into lasting mementos.

A proposal with a local wedding photographer can:

not only capture the moment but tell the story

double as an engagement photo session

make the moment sharable with other people

help you practice getting comfortable in front of a camera as a couple

act as a trial run to see if they’d make a good wedding photographer for you

A professional will be able to get the lighting just right, capture crisp images, edit out eyesores and choose flattering angles. Every photographer’s style is different, so look through their galleries to see which one suits you best.

At Universers photography, we can capture all the standard poses and specialize in capturing the little moments when your personality shines through. It’s the perfect cocktail of candid and formal. We offer local NYC wedding photography and destination wedding packages. We’ll capture all the wedding photo sessions from the engagement to the wedding, so you can enjoy every moment.

Step Two: Choose a location.

Choose your photographer first so they can give you location suggestions. A professional will already know a few magical places for an engagement photo session. Even if you already have a place in mind, an experienced photographer can help you with the planning. They’ll know when the best times of day are to shoot there and where everyone needs to stand for the best backdrop.

Step Three: Talk with your partner.

During your engagement is not the time to talk about marriage. Start talking about your future together long before the question is asked. You’ll even get insights into their engagement preferences in the process.

They may prefer a quiet, personal proposal or something more spectacular. They might have a favorite time of year or want to pick out their own ring. Knowing these details will help you with the next step, which is planning the proposal.

Step Four: Create a plan.

Here are some essentials:

devise a way to get your partner to look their best

schedule when you’ll meet the photographer

figure out the exact spot you’ll have the engagement photo session and pop the question

One way to hit all of these areas is to plan a fancy event. You could get dinner reservations, then just happen to get there early and take a stroll through the park before dinner. You could also suggest that you want to take a few selfies that evening for an updated profile picture. They’ll get the hint to dress up without giving it away.

If they’re someone who always dresses nice, you could conspire with their friends to meet you somewhere unexpectedly. The proposal possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Before you go too crazy with the plan though, take it from me and plan the proposal to be one of the first stops. Get to the good stuff so you can relax and enjoy the rest of the day without stressing. Once you’ve finalized the plans with everyone involved, you can start practicing getting on one knee!